Did Hr 724 Become Law? Understanding The New Legislation

H.R.724 refers to a number of different bills, all with the same number but introduced in different years and by different Congresses. For example, H.R.724 was introduced in 2019 by the 116th Congress and became law, whereas H.R.724 introduced in 2021 by the 117th Congress did not become law.

H.R.724 introduced in 2019, also known as the PACT Act or Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, was signed into law by the President on November 25, 2019. This bill revised and expanded criminal provisions with respect to animal crushing, including criminalizing intentional acts of animal crushing with penalties of a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both.

H.R.724 introduced in 2021, also known as the Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments Act of 2021, did not become law. This bill aimed to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide for reciprocal marketing approval of certain drugs, biological products, and devices.

There are also other bills with the number H.R.724, including one introduced in Illinois in 2012, designating April 2012 as Stop Parental Alienation Awareness Month, and another introduced in 2023 by the 118th Congress, known as the Arctic Refuge Protection Act, which aims to repeal the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas program.

The Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act)

The PACT Act revised and expanded criminal provisions with respect to animal crushing. Animal crushing refers to the act of intentionally crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impaling, or otherwise subjecting animals to serious bodily harm. The bill retained existing criminal offences that prohibited the creation or distribution of animal crush videos using interstate commerce. Additionally, it added a new provision to criminalize intentional acts of animal crushing, with violators subject to criminal penalties, including fines, prison terms of up to seven years, or both.

The PACT Act provided several exceptions for certain types of conduct or videos of conduct. These exceptions included medical or scientific research, situations where it was necessary to protect the life or property of a person, euthanization of an animal, and unintentional acts.

The bill gained significant support in Congress, with 301 cosponsors, including 215 Democrats, 85 Republicans, and 1 Independent. This strong backing highlights the importance placed on preventing animal cruelty and ensuring the humane treatment of animals.

The bill's journey through the House and Senate

H.R.724, also known as the PACT Act (Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act), was introduced to the House of Representatives on January 23, 2019, by Rep. Theodore E. Deutch of Florida's 22nd congressional district. The bill aimed to revise and expand criminal provisions concerning animal crushing.

On October 22, 2019, the bill passed in the House by a voice vote, with no record of individual votes. It then moved to the Senate, where it passed without amendment by unanimous consent on November 5, 2019.

The bill was presented to the President on November 18, 2019, and was signed into law on November 25, 2019, becoming Public Law No: 116-72. This law criminalized the intentional act of animal crushing and imposed penalties, including fines, prison terms of up to seven years, or both.

It is worth noting that there are other bills with the same designation, H.R. 724, from different congressional sessions. For instance, in the 118th Congress (2023-2025), H.R. 724 refers to the Arctic Refuge Protection Act, which was introduced on February 1, 2023, and is in the first stage of the legislative process.

The bill's cosponsors

I found several bills with the name H.R.724:

H.R.724 - PACT Act (2019)

This bill was sponsored by Rep. Theodore E. Deutch [D-FL-22] and had 301 cosponsors (215 Democrats, 85 Republicans, 1 Independent). Here is a list of some of the cosponsors:

• Rep. John Conyers, Jr. [D-MI-13]
• Rep. Debbie Dingell [D-MI-12]
• Rep. Grace Meng [D-NY-6]
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi [D-CA-12]
• Rep. Steny H. Hoyer [D-MD-5]
• Rep. Cedric L. Richmond [D-LA-2]
• Rep. Eric Swalwell [D-CA-15]
• Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries [D-NY-8]
• Rep. Judy Chu [D-CA-27]
• Rep. Katherine M. Clark [D-MA-5]
• Rep. Yvette D. Clarke [D-NY-9]
• Rep. Ro Khanna [D-CA-17]
• Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi [D-IL-8]

H.R.724 - Arctic Refuge Protection Act (2023)

This bill was sponsored by the Representative for California's 2nd congressional district, a Democrat. It has 87 cosponsors (86 Democrats, 1 Republican).

H.R.724 - Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments Act of 2021 (2021)

This bill was sponsored by the Representative for Texas's 21st congressional district, a Republican. It had 1 cosponsor (1 Republican).

H.R.724 - SOLVE Act of 2017 (2017)

This bill was sponsored by Rep. Zoe Lofgren [D-CA-19] and had 188 cosponsors, including 177 original cosponsors. Here is a list of some of the original cosponsors:

• Rep. John Conyers, Jr. [D-MI-13]
• Rep. Debbie Dingell [D-MI-12]
• Rep. Grace Meng [D-NY-6]
• Rep. Nancy Pelosi [D-CA-12]
• Rep. Steny H. Hoyer [D-MD-5]
• Rep. Cedric L. Richmond [D-LA-2]
• Rep. Eric Swalwell [D-CA-15]
• Rep. Hakeem S. Jeffries [D-NY-8]
• Rep. Judy Chu [D-CA-27]
• Rep. Katherine M. Clark [D-MA-5]
• Rep. Yvette D. Clarke [D-NY-9]
• Rep. Ro Khanna [D-CA-17]
• Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi [D-IL-8]

The bill's journey to the President's desk

H.R.724, also known as the PACT Act or the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act, was introduced to the House of Representatives on January 23, 2019, by Rep. Theodore E. Deutch of Florida's 22nd congressional district. The bill aimed to revise and expand criminal provisions regarding animal crushing and related videos.

On October 22, 2019, the bill was passed in the House by voice vote, with amendments, and sent to the Senate. Less than two weeks later, on November 5, the bill passed in the Senate without any amendments by unanimous consent.

By November 18, 2019, the bill was presented to the President. A week later, on November 25, 2019, it was signed into law by the President, becoming Public Law No: 116-72.

This law retains existing criminal offences that prohibit the creation or distribution of animal crush videos using interstate commerce. Additionally, it introduces a new provision to criminalize intentional acts of animal crushing, with penalties including a fine, a prison term of up to seven years, or both. The law also outlines exceptions for specific contexts, such as medical or scientific research, protection of human life or property, euthanasia, and unintentional acts.

The bill's signing into law

I found multiple instances of H.R.724 being signed into law:

H.R.724 - PACT Act (116th Congress, 2019-2020)

On November 25, 2019, the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act (PACT Act) was signed into law by the President of the United States. The bill revised and expanded criminal provisions with respect to animal crushing. It retained existing criminal offences that prohibited creating or distributing animal crush videos using interstate commerce, and added a new provision to criminalize intentional acts of animal crushing.

H.R.724 - Illinois House Act (97th Regular Session)

The Illinois House Act, or HR 724, was a resolution adopted in 2012 that designated April 2012 as "Stop Parental Alienation Awareness Month" in the State of Illinois.

H.R.724 - Arctic Refuge Protection Act (118th Congress, 2023-2025)

The Arctic Refuge Protection Act is a bill introduced in the United States Congress on February 1, 2023. It aims to repeal the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge oil and gas program and preserve the Arctic coastal plain as a wilderness area. However, as of February 1, 2023, this bill is still in the first stage of the legislative process and has not yet been signed into law.

H.R.724 - Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments Act of 2021 (117th Congress, 2021-2023)

The Reciprocity Ensures Streamlined Use of Lifesaving Treatments Act of 2021 was introduced on February 2, 2021, in the 117th Congress but did not receive a vote. This bill aimed to amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to provide reciprocal marketing approval for certain drugs, biological products, and devices authorized to be marketed abroad.

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